Bob Lobel
Encyclopedia
Robert "Bob" Lobel is a former sportscaster
for WBZ-TV
in Boston, Massachusetts. He anchored the sports segments on the evening newscasts between Sunday and Thursday, and hosted the weekly programs Sports Final and Patriots 5th Quarter. During a round of layoffs in April 2008, Lobel's contract was bought out by the station.
, Lobel joined the station as weekend sports anchor in 1979 and was promoted to weekday anchor and sports director in 1981. Before joining the television side of WBZ, Lobel worked at WBZ radio
for three years, most notably as the co-host (with Upton Bell
) of Calling All Sports, a sports talk show that aired nightly on the station. He also worked at WJOY
in Burlington, Vermont
and WGIR
in Manchester, New Hampshire
.
Lobel has also done some play-by-play work, calling WBZ's annual broadcast of the Boston Marathon
, Boston Celtics
games from 1989-1993, Boston College Eagles football
games in 1986, New England Patriots
preseason games from 1985-1991, and two NFL games for NBC
in 1985. He was a sideline reporter for the NCAA Mens' Basketball Tournament
between 1995 and 1997.
On the air, Lobel was known for using props and catchphrases during his sportscasts:
Lobel is also known for his local charity work for Children's Hospital and The Genesis Fund among many others.
During a 2003 edition of Sports Final, Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan
said that the wife of New Jersey Nets
guard Jason Kidd
needed someone to "smack" her for taking his young children to NBA playoff games where they could be taunted. Kidd had recently faced charges of domestic violence
. Lobel immediately interrupted Ryan and tried to get Ryan to retract his comment, but Ryan refused. The Globe suspended Ryan for three weeks. In an Internet chat that summer, Lobel said that his actions were not "an act of heroism on my part, just knowing what is acceptable and what is not acceptable".
On April 2, 2008, it was announced that Lobel will be released from WBZ-TV after almost thirty years with the station. On Dec. 1, 2010, Lobel will start doing a two
hour show on WTPL-FM 107.7 in Hillsboro, NH, weekdays from 1 pm until 3 pm.
On February 3, 2009 Bob Lobel returned briefly to the WBZ fold, on WBZ 1030 AM, replacing Gil Santos
(longtime sportscaster who retired on January 30) as the on-air sports reporter. He continues to work with the radio station in other capacities, including golf reports on weekends.
, "Oldies 103.3". The show, co-hosted by Karen Blake
, will feature cover a range of topics including sports. Due to back surgery in October 2008, Lobel was replaced on WODS on November 11, 2008.
Lobel appeared on The Boston Sports Show on Boston's ESPN Radio affiliate, WAMG-890
, until it was cancelled in September 2009.
Lobel was a judge at Kiss 108's 2007 Turkey Toss in which local high schools sent two members of their football team to compete in a turkey throwing competition. Although the contest was held at 7 AM, Lobel was accused of being intoxicated by a number of participants. He interrupted the competition and made a number of calls which visual evidence later clearly refuted.
published on May 13, 2005 resulted in legal action. In the original strip, characters Rob, Bucky and Satchel are watching television. Satchel asks "Is this sportscaster... drunk?" Rob replies "Lobel? Who knows. He's like some TV outreach program or something."
Less than a week later, Lobel filed a libel lawsuit against cartoonist Darby Conley
, United Features Syndicate, and the New Bedford
Standard-Times newspaper. The New Bedford paper was named specifically because it did not censor the strip as several other Boston-area papers did, including The Boston Globe
; most either refused to run the strip or substituted "Him?" in place of Lobel's name. The lawsuit claimed that the strip was both personally and professionally damaging, especially given that his contract was under negotiation for renewal at the time.
On November 16, 2005, a brief article in the Boston Herald
reported that Lobel and Conley had settled the suit out of court. Conley made a public apology to Lobel, saying the strip was not intended to imply that he had been drunk on the air. Further details of the settlement were confidential, but the Herald quoted an unnamed source as saying Conley had made a substantial donation to charity.
The strip was left out of the Get Fuzzy collection Take Our Cat, Please.
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
for WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV, virtual channel 4, is a CBS owned-and-operated television station, located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WBZ-TV's studios and office facilities, shared with sister station WSBK-TV , are located in the Allston-Brighton section of Boston, and its transmitter is located in Needham,...
in Boston, Massachusetts. He anchored the sports segments on the evening newscasts between Sunday and Thursday, and hosted the weekly programs Sports Final and Patriots 5th Quarter. During a round of layoffs in April 2008, Lobel's contract was bought out by the station.
WBZ
A native of Apple Creek, OhioApple Creek, Ohio
Apple Creek is a village in Wayne County, Ohio, United States. The population was 999 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Apple Creek is located at ....
, Lobel joined the station as weekend sports anchor in 1979 and was promoted to weekday anchor and sports director in 1981. Before joining the television side of WBZ, Lobel worked at WBZ radio
WBZ (AM)
WBZ is the call sign for an AM radio station in Boston, Massachusetts owned by CBS Radio, itself owned by the CBS Corporation. Originally based in and broadcast from Springfield, Massachusetts, WBZ was the first commercial radio station in the United States...
for three years, most notably as the co-host (with Upton Bell
Upton Bell
Upton Bell is a former American football executive. Upton is currently a talk show host and commentator at WCRN Talk AM 830 in Worcester, Massachusetts...
) of Calling All Sports, a sports talk show that aired nightly on the station. He also worked at WJOY
WJOY
WJOY is a radio station broadcasting an adult standards format. Licensed to Burlington, Vermont, USA, the station is currently owned by Hall Communications, Inc....
in Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
and WGIR
WGIR (AM)
WGIR is a radio station in Manchester, New Hampshire with a news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.-History:...
in Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
.
Lobel has also done some play-by-play work, calling WBZ's annual broadcast of the Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
, Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
games from 1989-1993, Boston College Eagles football
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
games in 1986, New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
preseason games from 1985-1991, and two NFL games for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in 1985. He was a sideline reporter for the NCAA Mens' Basketball Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
between 1995 and 1997.
On the air, Lobel was known for using props and catchphrases during his sportscasts:
- "Why can't we get players like that?" - when any former player for a Boston team is shown making a big play for his new team. This is emphasized in instances when the former Boston player burns a Boston team.
- the "Panic Button" when a local team is on a losing streak
- a support beam from the Boston GardenBoston GardenThe Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
occasionally used for Boston BruinsBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
and Boston CelticsBoston CelticsThe Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
highlights.
Lobel is also known for his local charity work for Children's Hospital and The Genesis Fund among many others.
During a 2003 edition of Sports Final, Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan
Bob Ryan
Bob Ryan is an American sportswriter for The Boston Globe. He has been described as "the quintessential American sportswriter" and a basketball guru and is well known for his coverage of the sport including his famous stories covering the Boston Celtics in the 1970s. After graduating from Boston...
said that the wife of New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
guard Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
needed someone to "smack" her for taking his young children to NBA playoff games where they could be taunted. Kidd had recently faced charges of domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
. Lobel immediately interrupted Ryan and tried to get Ryan to retract his comment, but Ryan refused. The Globe suspended Ryan for three weeks. In an Internet chat that summer, Lobel said that his actions were not "an act of heroism on my part, just knowing what is acceptable and what is not acceptable".
On April 2, 2008, it was announced that Lobel will be released from WBZ-TV after almost thirty years with the station. On Dec. 1, 2010, Lobel will start doing a two
hour show on WTPL-FM 107.7 in Hillsboro, NH, weekdays from 1 pm until 3 pm.
On February 3, 2009 Bob Lobel returned briefly to the WBZ fold, on WBZ 1030 AM, replacing Gil Santos
Gil Santos
Gil Santos is the longtime radio play-by-play announcer for the New England Patriots of the National Football League, and morning sports reporter for WBZ radio in Boston. He retired from WBZ on January 30, 2009. Santos was inducted into the WBZ Radio Hall of Fame on July 9, 2009...
(longtime sportscaster who retired on January 30) as the on-air sports reporter. He continues to work with the radio station in other capacities, including golf reports on weekends.
WODS-FM and WAMG-AM
In September 2008, Lobel was hired as a co-host on a morning talk show on WODS-FMWODS
- External links :****...
, "Oldies 103.3". The show, co-hosted by Karen Blake
Karen Blake
Karen Blake is a Radio Disc Jockey from Boston, Massachusetts. She has been on the Boston airwaves since the late 1970s and early 1980s.She began her career with six years at Kiss 108. She then joined WZOU 94.5 where she was also known as "The Madam" doing Mornings, Evenings and Afternoon Drive...
, will feature cover a range of topics including sports. Due to back surgery in October 2008, Lobel was replaced on WODS on November 11, 2008.
Lobel appeared on The Boston Sports Show on Boston's ESPN Radio affiliate, WAMG-890
WAMG
WAMG is a radio station in the Boston market licensed to Dedham, Massachusetts. It is owned by Gois Broadcasting. It broadcasts in Spanish, & plays Bachata, Merengue, Salsa and Pop music....
, until it was cancelled in September 2009.
Controversies
Lobel has been reported as having appeared on air in an intoxicated state which Lobel denies.Lobel was a judge at Kiss 108's 2007 Turkey Toss in which local high schools sent two members of their football team to compete in a turkey throwing competition. Although the contest was held at 7 AM, Lobel was accused of being intoxicated by a number of participants. He interrupted the competition and made a number of calls which visual evidence later clearly refuted.
Get Fuzzy
An edition of the comic strip Get FuzzyGet Fuzzy
Get Fuzzy is an American daily comic strip written and drawn by Darby Conley. The strip features the adventures of Boston advertising executive Rob Wilco and his two anthropomorphic pets: dog Satchel Pooch and cat Bucky Katt. Get Fuzzy has been published by United Feature Syndicate since September...
published on May 13, 2005 resulted in legal action. In the original strip, characters Rob, Bucky and Satchel are watching television. Satchel asks "Is this sportscaster... drunk?" Rob replies "Lobel? Who knows. He's like some TV outreach program or something."
Less than a week later, Lobel filed a libel lawsuit against cartoonist Darby Conley
Darby Conley
Darby Conley is an American cartoonist best known for the popular comic strip Get Fuzzy.-Background:Conley was born in Concord, Massachusetts in 1970, and grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee....
, United Features Syndicate, and the New Bedford
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
Standard-Times newspaper. The New Bedford paper was named specifically because it did not censor the strip as several other Boston-area papers did, including The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
; most either refused to run the strip or substituted "Him?" in place of Lobel's name. The lawsuit claimed that the strip was both personally and professionally damaging, especially given that his contract was under negotiation for renewal at the time.
On November 16, 2005, a brief article in the Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
reported that Lobel and Conley had settled the suit out of court. Conley made a public apology to Lobel, saying the strip was not intended to imply that he had been drunk on the air. Further details of the settlement were confidential, but the Herald quoted an unnamed source as saying Conley had made a substantial donation to charity.
The strip was left out of the Get Fuzzy collection Take Our Cat, Please.